shim

American  

[shim] / ʃɪm /

noun

1. a thin slip or wedge of metal, wood, etc., for driving into crevices, as between machine parts to compensate for wear, or beneath bedplates, large stones, etc., to level them.

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verb (used with object)

shimmed, shimming

1. to fill out or bring to a level by inserting a shim or shims.

shim British  

/ ʃɪm /

noun

1. a thin packing strip or washer often used with a number of similar washers or strips to adjust a clearance for gears, etc

2. physics a thin strip of magnetic material, such as soft iron, used to adjust a magnetic field

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verb

1. (tr) to modify a load, clearance, or magnetic field by the use of shims

Etymology

Origin of shim

First recorded in 1715–25; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Of all the work Schuermann did on the guitar — including steam and heat treatment of the bridge and adding a removable shim for stability — the neck reset was the biggest undertaking.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2024

Often, the city’s answer is a temporary bevel and shim fix — either grinding down edges on cracked sidewalks or adding a small amount of asphalt to bridge the gaps.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2023

She works hard, one student offered: yeol shim hee.

From New York Times • Oct. 17, 2016

The rear of the box leaned against a wooden shim, held by an rusty screw, also now partially buried in the tree. 

From Forbes • Dec. 2, 2011

I went back to my street corner and proceeded to waste three hours begging, not gaining so much as a thin shim for my ef- forts.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Related Words

• dressing
• layer
• mixture
• stuffing